User blog:Carol of the bells/Days of Ruin (Revised): Chapter 1, part 1
In this place, I only exist. Nothing happens, and yet, everything happens all at once. Things that have yet to happen have already been...and will never happen at all. While I exist in this void, let me tell you a story. Or perhaps, in better words, a part of many stories. For this tale has too many beginnings to be the work of one being. But for now, let us start with a girl... DAYS OF RUIN: ZEN'S EXILE Chapter One The first thing that registered to her senses was the roar of the crowd. It was almost deafening. The second thing she realized is that she was lying in a pool of liquid--sticky, warm liquid. Managing to pry her eye open, through her blurry vision she saw that it was crimson. Blood? Her blood? The crimson liquid stained her memory as she recalled her situation. That last remnant of darkness faded from her mind, and she saw before her a battleground. The Battle Arena. She pushed herself up on her hands and knees, her breathing labored. “Lady Zen,” the voice of one of her units rang in her head, “Please stand up!” She struggled to her feet, wiping a string of blood from her mouth. The light of the sun poured through the open arena as the audience watched the display. She looked to her right and saw one of the spectator balconies. Inside, she saw her father, Hisagi, and her eldest brother, Ko. Hisagi's mouth seemed to be twisted into an amused grin while her brother remained expressionless. She turned her attention to the opponent before her--the one who had just struck her down. Looks like the Samui contestant is back on her feet, folks! The announcer's voice spoke over the din of the crowd. Will she be able to make a comeback? Or is this match already decided? The person opposite of Zen had the attribute of lightning. She was a light-attribute. She should be at neither an advantage or disadvantage. But she was still losing. "Well?" Her opponent spoke. "Your turn." Zen grit her teeth, shoving the sensations of pain to the back of her mind. She dashed forward. And Zen Samui makes a move! As she moved forward, the fingers of her right hand traced the air beside her, forming a sapphire crystal sheath around her arm. She stopped short of her adversary and struck out with a right hook. He ducked and parried with a punch of his own, catching her in the gut. She gasped and choked on the blood rising through her throat. They exchanged blows, the advantage swiftly giving way to her foe. She realized she was fighting a losing battle. Fear took a hold of her as she was pushed back. He reared his fist back, and it crackled with the attribute of lightning. With a shout, he drove it forward. "I give up!" Silence seemed to fall over the arena as she screamed those three words. Her opponent's fist stopped inches from his face, as he was equally surprised by her declaration. O-Oh? What's this? Zen Samui...has surrendered her match? Even as the announcer spoke, the spectators began to murmur, a mixed set of emotions stirring the crowd. This is a first, ladies and gentelmen! Never in this Arena's history has a Samui contestant surrendered! This is monumental! Zen began to realize just how small she was in the midst of the rising uproar. Her opponent had already turned his back, waving to the crowd and grinning proudly at the history he'd made. Her stomach turned and her heart rose to her throat as she looked to see her father and brother's reaction. Ko's brow was furrowed. Hisagi's smirk had soured into a deep frown. Ericond' 'Aprexus' has won this match by default--it is an impressive victory, none the less! After many generations, the Samui name has been stained. I doubt they'll be making a return anytime soon!' *** Zen stared into her palm as Riku, one of her five older brothers, bandaged her other arm. He was concentrated in his work. He flinched when he tugged too hard, eyes flickering up to Zen's face as he searched for signs of pain. She didn't seem to notice. He offered a smile, patting her arm and tying off the bandage. "Don't worry," He said, "I don't think Father will do anything too irrational." Zen didn't respond, eyes still fixed blankly ahead of her. The sound of muted footsteps drew her attention to the door. Her eyes met with Ko's faded blue irises as he spoke. "Father wants to see you." She clenched her jaw. As she stood, Riku stood with her, grasping her hand. "You'll be fine." She nodded listlessly, pulling her hand away and following Ko out of the door. She knew where father's office was--down the hall, into the foyer, and up the stairs. When they reached the polished wooden door, he paused, turning his head to her slightly. "...Father has no reservations about taking extreme measures." She nodded. Once, her brother Ritz had fumbled in an arena match and lost. None of the siblings knew what had been spoken, but when Ritz exited father's office, one of his ribs had been broken. Ko walked away, leaving her at the door. Her breath quickened and her hand trembled as she reached for the handle. She thought twice about it and opted for a knock instead. "Come in," The voice from inside replied. She opened the door, closing it behind her after she stepped into the office. Hisagi stood before one of his bookshelves, hand placed on his chin and the other behind his back as he appeared to be searching for a particular volume. "Zen," He addressed his daughter without looking at her, "Glad you could come." He finally reached out and took a book down from the fourth shelf, inspecting the cover. "You know why I called you here, yes?" Zen didn't dare look up at him. "Y-you," She quickly licked her dry lips to try and overcome her stutter. "You're going to tell me my punishment for being defeated in a public battle." He hummed in acknowledgement, opening the book and leafing through the pages. "Indeed. You might not fully understand, Zen, but it is very important for us to maintain an image of...shall we say, invincibility? We have countless relatives who would like to see all of us, well, dead. And that is why when one of my children disgraces our name like that in public..." He paused, closing his eyes to maintain his composure, before opening them again. "...I must take disciplinary actions." Her hand trembled, and she did her best to hide her fear. "Yes..." He turned a few more pages of the book. "You have a lot of potential, Zen. I really believe that with the proper push, you can become something great, something...incredible." A small smile crossed his face. "That is why you're going to leave. Today, preferably." She looked up in shock, surprised by his words. "Y-you're banishing me?!" She was hardly aware that she had raised her voice. "Oh, goodness, it's nothing like that. You can come back...but only after you've proved to be at least half a decent fighter." "But--!" In her desperation, she took a step forward. Almost too quickly to see, Hisagi's shadow warped beneath him, springing from the ground and piercing the floor boards beside Zen's feet. She gasped, freezing, a cold sweat breaking over her face. For the first time since she entered the room, Hisagi turned his face ever so slightly, slowly, to look at her. "Go pack your things." Zen grit her teeth, swallowing her fear, and nodded stiffly. "...Yes, Father." After one more moment of hesitation, she turned and exited his office, closing the door quietly. Hisagi sighed lightly, returning his attention to the book in his hands. "Hm, yes...this'll be just fine." *** The door closed just short of slamming behind Zen as she fell against her bedroom wall, breathing heavily. Her mind was as cloudy as her vision as tears threatened to fall. She wiped at them angrily. She didn’t have time to cry, to show weakness; that was what got her into this position in the first place. She drew in a shaky breath, then retrieved her backpack from the corner, walking over to her dresser with slow and sluggish steps. She was stalling. Prolonging the inevitable. If she didn’t leave on her own, Father would have Ko throw her out. She didn’t want that. Shaky hands slid her dresser drawer open. She pulled out some clothes, stuffing them into her bag without thought as to what was going in. The tips of her fingers brushed against glass, and she flinched, startled. Slowly, she pulled the object out. It was a wooden picture frame, housing a ten-year-old family portrait. According to Riku, mother had requested to get their portrait painted when they were in town once. Mother must have been a nice person. She wished she could remember. She placed the frame face down in the drawer, moving to her closet and donning on a fur lined cloak. She left her room without a sound, trailing her hand down the banister as she walked down the stairs. Each step she took felt heavy and surreal. Dreamlike. But as she reached the foyer, cracking the door open and feeling the bitter cold sweep over her… This was no dream. In an instant, she closed the door and spun around, pressing her back to it, closing her eyes tight. How she wished it was only a dream. She opened her blue eyes, scanning the empty halls before her. There were no servants, no maids, no one in the house. Her family lived alone. There was no one to give her a comforting word as she left. For a moment, she considered seeking out one of her brothers, if just to say that she was leaving. Fool, She thought bitterly to herself, turning slowly to face the door, That weakness is why you’re leaving in the first place…you…I brought this upon myself. She turned the large brass handle, and pushed the door open. The courtyard lay before her, and beyond that, a large iron gate. She walked towards it, her shoes pressing into the hardened snow. There was no wind, not yet. It would be cold enough without it. She curled her hand around the bars of the gate. A familiar feeling coursed through her, spreading from the iron to her fingertips. She was frightened. Suddenly, every fiber in her being shivered with the cold. If only someone was there with her, at that moment, she might have the courage. Slowly, she turned around. From the second floor of the mansion, she saw a face watching her. It was Ko. They locked gazes, staring at each other for a long time. Then, without showing any sort of emotion, her older brother turned from the window and disappeared from sight. Zen found herself wondering if he had always been so heartless. She turned back towards the gate, opening it. Its hinges screeched and screamed against one another and the cold. With much effort, she managed to close it behind her. “Lady Zen,” Her unit, Aem, addressed her cautiously, “…our sympathies. Please, take courage. We will be here if you ever need—“ “If I ever need your help during my solitude,” Zen snapped, “Then it will only ever prove Father’s point, do you not think?” Silence was the reply that rang in her ears. “This,” She continued, speaking mostly to herself, “This is something…that I must face alone…I have no choice now…” “….I am alone.” *** Riku knocked on Zen’s door, waiting anxiously. “Zen? Zen, can I come in?” No answer. He glanced at Kaine, who stood next to him. His younger brother gave a shrug, and Riku knocked again. “What are you up to?” They turned, seeing the twins Haku and Ritz coming towards them. “Zen had a…talk with father,” Riku informed them gravely, his face ridden with concern. “I just wanted to see if she was okay, but….” Ritz scoffed. “A talk, huh?” His hand felt his ribs where a scar resided. “It couldn’t have gone well…” Riku sighed before speaking through the door. “Zen, I’m coming in.” He opened the door slowly. After hearing no response, he opened it all the way. He blinked as he was met with the sight of an empty room. Zen’s bed was untouched, and several of her drawers were pulled out and emptied. “W-what…?” “Zen is gone.” The brothers turned to see Ko behind them, indifference swimming in his cold blue eyes. “Father sent her away.” “What?” Haku’s brow furrowed. “What are you talking about?” Ko’s eyes flashed with irritation. “Didn’t you hear me? Zen is leaving. Father won’t let her come back until she’s proven herself—“ Haku didn’t let him finished as he quickly closed the distance between them, grabbing his collar roughly. Though younger by two years, he stood at least two inches taller. “And you didn’t do anything?!” He demanded. Ko calmly removed his brother’s hand. “It was not my decision to make,” He replied lowly. He gave a careless shrug. “Who knows…it might do her some good.” “Idiot,” Ritz growled, “Casting a child out into the wilderness by herself is going to kill her, not help her.” “She’s fifteen…that’s the same age Kaine returned from his exile, yes?” Ko questioned. Kaine went rigid at the mention of his banishment. The older brother turned his back to them and began walking away. “What father says is law. None of us can change that.” They watched as he disappeared down the hall. Once he was out of earshot, Haku slammed his fist into the wall, grunting in frustration. “Blast…!” “What do we do?” Riku asked fretfully. “What can we do?” Ritz snapped. “Father’s not just going to let us go after her.” Haku drew in a deep breath to calm himself. “We’re not going to do anything,” He told his brothers. “That would just make things worse. I hate to say it, but the best thing we can do for her is stay here and wait.” “For what?” Kaine asked. The brothers had no answer. Such are the affairs of the Samui family. --- And thus, our…hero, shall we say? Our ‘hero’ sets out on her journey. Her task is to find something that can prove her worth as a member of her family. The Samui family boasts a great strength that must remain untarnished. Whether it is misfortune or good will, things will not go as planned for our poor hero. Many things are in store for her, and they are too great to imagine. Her life in the mansion has blinded her to the things of the world, the gods and demons that lurk in the unknown. How will she fare, I wonder? Category:Blog posts